After winning one state title, most programs would feel the pressure to back it up with another.
Cherokee Bluff girls coach Kassie Scott has a different approach as the Lady Bears get ready to open the 2025-26 campaign as the reigning Class 3A champs. It was the program’s first-ever title after advancing to their first-ever Final Four.
Their first game this season is not scheduled until Nov. 18, however, at home against Central Gwinnett. They will begin the season perched atop the Class 3A Kyle Sandy poll.
“There’s no pressure from me to them saying, ‘if we don’t make state we’re not good,’” Scott said. “It wouldn’t take away from the players and people and what we were able to do (last year). We’re forever a state champion, and they’ll forever have a banner hanging in this gym.”
But Scott also said they’re not shying away from the challenge that comes when you’re the hunted instead being on the chase. In fact, they’re trying to take the same approach they had last year: that they haven’t won anything yet.
The 2024-25 regular season was more Jekyl-and-Hyde than dominating for the Lady Bears. They finished third in Region 8-3A in the regular season but then would close out the season with eight straight wins — three in the region tournament and five in the state tournament.
“We know what our end goals are, but I just keep telling them it’s literally one practice at a time. Just like last year,” she said. “We’ve got to get better every single day, and we have to be better than we were the day before. And if we can keep that type of mentality, then we’ll be back where we want to be.
“We have a tough non-region schedule put together that’ll get us prepared for that tournament again. It’ll be fun for sure. They’re a fun group of girls to coach and our team chemistry is off the charts, on and off the court. I feel like it’s going to be a great season.”
The Lady Bears, however, are not the only team coming off a state championship season. Lakeview Academy won its second consecutive GIAA Class 3A title behind Taliah Gaither and Dynesty Putman.
But Gaither and Putman have moved on to the next level. Taylor Clark transferred to Commerce. And the Lady Lions will be more in a rebuilding mode coming into the season. Or will they?
Lakeview coach Ken Huffman said don’t count his young team out just yet.
“The expectations and the goals will always be the same here,” he said. “We did lose some key pieces. However, we bring back (senior point guard) Emory (Combs), who’s the glue to everything. And she’s been doing a great job of being a leader and bringing the young ones along.
“The experience is not there yet. But I don’t think I’ve had a group that worked as hard as these young kids work. They want to kind of carry on the torch that was passed to them by Taliah and Dynesty.”
Several of the younger players got some quality minutes during last year’s title run and Huffman said it has him feeling optimistic.
“I’m not sure if anybody else added to their roster (around the state),” Huffman said. “But just based on what we saw when we played in the playoffs last year, I think this team can repeat. But we will have to stay healthy because our depth is very, very slim.”
Lakeview won the ultimate war in claiming the state title, but Athens Christian won the GIAA District 4-4A/3A region title last season. The Lady Eagles will be right in the mix again.
“I think the entire region is going to be a tough one for us, because we got a lot of players playing in different roles now,” Huffman said. “So until they figure that piece out, it’s going to be a fight in every region game.”
Banks County coach Jason Gibson and the Lady Leopards find themselves in a similar position as Lakeview. They graduated the heart-and-soul of a group that made two trips to Macon in the past three seasons.
Reece Murphy and Ryleigh Murphy, who combined for over 33 points/game last year moved on. They still have senior PG Ansley Moore (8 ppg, 8 apg), sophomore G/F JanaKate Gibson (8 ppg, 3 apg, 3 rpg), and junior F/C Marleigh Dale (5 ppg, 8 rgp, 2 apg) returning for a solid nucleus returning.
They also have six players that are 5-foot-10 or taller, which should create matchup problems. Gibson said they recognize the challenges ahead.
“We’re tasked with trying to find, you know, some replacements for, essentially 40 points a game between our four seniors last year,” he said. “I feel like we have some young kids that have been working really hard and that’ll be stepping up and kind of replacing those roles in the early part of our season.”
They will play in easily the toughest region in Class A Division with themselves (6th), Rabun County (3rd), and Elbert County (4th) all ranked in the preseason Kyle Sandy poll.
Like Huffman, Gibson said don’t count his group out just yet.
“We have talked a lot in detail about the expectations and kind of what we want to accomplish,” he said. “It’s a brand new puzzle and an opportunity for this group to write their story the way they want to write it. Replacing 40 points a game I think that’s probably the most graduation points in one year I’ve probably ever had. It will be a challenge for us.
“But there’s so many factors and things that have to fall your way (to get to Macon). I don’t feel any pressure and I don’t think our kids do either. I think they are motivated and are excited about the opportunity to prove people wrong.”
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